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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22767667">Jokes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InjuredMoonDance/pseuds/InjuredMoonDance'>InjuredMoonDance</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Derry Girls (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, F/M, Friendship, Jokes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:48:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22767667</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InjuredMoonDance/pseuds/InjuredMoonDance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Michelle has never been known to take things with the seriousness they are meant to be taken. That's why there were five times she didn’t believe Erin and James they were dating and one time she did.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Maguire/Erin Quinn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>180</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Jokes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm here with a new story, this time a one shot. I hope you like this and kudos, comments and bookmarks are always apreciated, so don't hesitate to tell me what you think of the story. Have a lovely day!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>First time: When James admitted the truth</strong>
</p><p>Michelle was pacing over the carpet on James’ bedroom that used to be reserved for the far and in-between guests that went to her house. He was sitting on the bed, hands on his denim jacket just arriving from an errand Deirdre had sent him to, his eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth in a thin line, an exhausted expression in his eyes as he tried to tie what Michelle was saying together.</p><p>“No, Michelle, I am not going to go out with Ciara Ryan just so you can get with her brother” He sighed, she glared at him with piercing eyes.</p><p>“Look, dick” Michelle began “I know you have your whole gay thing…”</p><p>“For the thousandth time Michelle, there is no gay thing” James spoke exasperated.</p><p>“…going on. You need to know that Connor Ryan is a massive ride…”</p><p>“I did not need to know that” He rolled his eyes.</p><p>“And I am not missing it just because you refuse to take his sister on a single date. For some reason the girl has such low standards she wants to date you, poor girl, it’s tragic really.” She gave a desolate sigh looking through the window in James’ bedroom while he remained quiet, rubbing the bridge of his nose “So, I need you to say yes to her, Dicko”</p><p>“I don’t care if you think Connor Ryan is the best ride in all of Ireland. I still won’t be taking his sister to a date” James said with certainty, he wanted to do his homework, and knew he wouldn’t be able to do it if Michelle didn’t leave the bedroom.</p><p>“And why the fuck not?” Michelle tilted her head, upset.</p><p>“Because if I’m going on a date with someone, I’d rather be someone I already like and not someone I’m taking out just so my cousin can be with her older brother” James opened his eyes wide, raising his shoulders.</p><p>“I don’t know where you got the idea you can have standards, fucking English prick” Michelle spat, “You talk as if you already liked someone and the idea makes me want to boke”</p><p>James opened his eyes wide, trying to look everywhere but his cousin.</p><p>“Leave my bedroom Michelle” He said, doing his best to sound as annoyed as possible. Michelle jumped from the bed standing on the carpeted floor, a smile on her face.</p><p>“So you do like someone” She raised her eyebrows, he rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Piss off Michelle” Instead of coming out as annoyed as he wanted it to, it sounded more like a plea to be left alone.</p><p>“So, who is the unlucky one?” She leaned forward, smile on her face.</p><p>“Leave me alone”</p><p>“If you tell me I could talk to her about you, lower her standards you know. I’m just trying to help you here and you are making a big deal out of this, I don’t get why you don’t want to tell me…”</p><p>“Because it’s Erin, Michelle!” Once the words left his mouth James froze, eyes wide open eyebrows raised not a single coherent thing coming out of his mouth after that, his eyes focused on Michelle trying to figure out what her reaction would be, expecting her to try and throw him out of the window.</p><p>The girl remained where she was speechless watching his cousin up and down, he was still waiting for her to lash out at him at any minute, instead she just rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Seriously James? Fine, don’t tell me, but there’s no need to drag Erin into this, prick” She said “I’ll just tell Ciara you caught something and couldn’t make it, maybe that’ll knock some sense into her and she’ll forget about you” She left the bedroom and James stared at her until she shut his door, even after she left he remained unmovable in his place trying to take any sense out of her lack of reaction.</p><p>
  <strong>Second time: When Erin realized the truth.</strong>
</p><p>After an exhausting day of school, it almost fell like if the school bus was luring the students to sleep, those who did fall asleep usually ended up waking up in some bump on the road. James, however, seemed to be a heavy sleeper; as soon as he closed his eyes nothing had been able to wake him up, for a brief second Erin wondered if he had passed out and none of them had noticed.</p><p>Clare was talking in hushed whispers on his side, trying to explain what they had seen in class to Orla, who had spent most of her class doodling the teacher and with a test coming up Clare decided she didn’t want to have another incident. Erin looked over at Michelle who was sitting by her side, checking her nails and the chipped polish on them.</p><p>“So you are saying James didn’t want to go on the date with Ciara because he fancies someone?” Curiosity got the best of Erin as she decided the sights of Derry weren’t as interesting or important as knowing about James’ life.</p><p>“Fancy, ride, who knows, I just know the dick refused me the opportunity to be with Connor Ryan, I’ll have my revenge when he least expects it” Michelle said back without missing a beat, not lifting her eyes from her nails, the inside of her mind pondering the next color.</p><p>“It’s not that big of a deal Michelle” Erin shrugged glancing at the window.</p><p>“It is a huge fucking deal Erin.” Michelle’s eyes shot up, glaring at Erin, who looked at her with furrowed eyebrows leaning backwards “I am his cousin, family goes first, you know and he ditched my chance to be happy, and I mean truly happy, for some girl he fancies. That fucking dickhead, he’s not even attractive to begin with” Michelle scoffed, Erin looked back at James. He wasn’t ugly by any means, and with his eyebrows slightly furrowed he looked adorable while he slept. “He should be thankful Ciara wants to date him, seriously the jerk is acting like if he gets to be fussy about who to date. He’ll end up all old and alone I’m telling you” She rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Well” Erin meditated, a slight pout in her lips, her cheeks a faint shade of pink in them “James is not that ugly, it’s not that crazy that Ciara wants to date him” her eyes avoided Michelle’s who squinted as if she needed glasses to look at her better.</p><p>“Erin has a point” Clare conceded, taking a break from teaching Orla “James is the only boy in our school, someone had to ask him out at some point… or he would probably end up asking someone out” She reasoned, Erin’s eyes began to wonder almost looking at everything in the bus, nose scrunched.</p><p>“Aye, James is not that ugly, but I would be careful if I were him. So the thing that happened with Katya won’t happen again” Orla was the one to talk, focusing her eyes on Clare’s notebook, writing notes around it complimenting her calligraphy.</p><p>“It was one time” Erin spat.</p><p>“But it was an absolute shit-show, Erin” Michelle said, smiling amused at remembering the entire ordeal.</p><p>“Aye, it was” Orla nodded, eyes changing between the pen in her hand and James’ sleeping face.</p><p>“I was only looking out for him, because he is my friend. Friends do that for each other, that’s why we should figure out who James likes so we can meet the girl and see if she is a good prospect for James”</p><p>Clare leaned forward slightly, confused expression on her face, trying to understand what Erin had just said.</p><p>“A good prospect” Michelle mocked “Erin I hope you know how stupid that sounded”</p><p>“It didn’t sound stupid” She raised her voice, James moved slightly so she toned it down until it was a hushed whisper “We all know James has poor taste when it comes to dating, it’s only our duty to figure out who he likes and prevent him if he is about to make a terrible mistake” Erin resolved, her voice sounding as if she was a politic delivering the most important speech in her career.</p><p>“Seriously, Erin, why do you care so much who James wants to ride? He’s English, any girl would have to be absolutely deranged to want to be with him” Michelle spat.</p><p>“Maybe not absolutely deranged…” Erin mumbled deep in thought until her mouth twisted.</p><p>“Aye, it’s not very normal you care so much who people date, Erin” Clare tried, her voice softer, contrary to Michelle’s almost angry tone.</p><p>“Except for the Russian, she cared a lot about the Russian girl who wanted to ride James” Said Orla</p><p>“That’s truth, isn’t it?” Michelle said, shrugging it off immediately afterwards.</p><p>Erin had remained silence the entire time, her hands playing with the skirt of her uniform, her eyes shot wide open, her voice remained on a whisper.</p><p>“Oh my God, I think I like James” Her mouth twisting, her eyes on the floor unable to look at her friends in the eyes. Clare’s eyes shot wide open.</p><p>“Are you sure, Erin?” Clare tried.</p><p>“I think so” Erin nodded, looking at her in the eyes, Clare had a soft smile in her face and reached to rub her arm in understanding as if she was consoling her for something she already knew.</p><p>“Don’t worry Erin, I like James too, he is cracker” Orla said smiling squeezing her cousin’s arm for a second.</p><p>“Very funny Erin” Michelle snorted “Not even you could step low enough to actually want to ride James”</p><p>“I don’t think she’s joking Michelle” Clare tried, but Michelle let out a single laugh.</p><p>“Yes, she is,” Michelle snorted “Seriously, liking James. I think she can do so much better than him” Michelle shrugged, Erin tilted her head confused.</p><p>
  <strong>Third time: When James plan was ruined.</strong>
</p><p>Whoever was the first person who had said that love was in the air, Michelle firmly believed they deserved to be hit on the face. Specially on Valentine’s day when Jenny had taken extra care of decorating the school’s hallways and turning them into a cacophony of red and pink ribbons, glitter and hearts. It was clear Sister Michael had never been fond of the idea judging by her expression of dread whenever she had to go through one of the hallways. However, like usual, she probably hadn’t had the energy to try and stop Jenny from actually putting her effort in matching the school with the date.</p><p>This year in particular, Jenny decided she wanted to take things one step ahead and instead of handing away lollipops for all the girls alongside Aisling, she partnered with her cousin creating a way for boys to send presents to the girls in Jenny’s school and vice versa. Now squeals could be heard inside the classrooms as girls saw the presents meant for them. Michelle spent a good amount of time complaining that the yelling hurt her ears and cursing she hadn’t come with the idea herself, thinking about the money she could have gotten out of couples.</p><p>There were two presents in Michelle’s classroom, a box poorly wrapped in messy blue and silver paper with a pink ribbon on top resting on Erin’s desk, next to it, a rose alongside a yellow acacia and angelica. As soon as they had their foot on the classroom’s entrance the entire group froze, James’ eyes never leaving Erin’s face studying her reaction while the girl remained still, trying to figure out if it was a dream. The other was a box of chocolates and a small flower bouquet with roses, sweet alyssums, gardenias and azaleas resting on Clare’s desk, the girl blinked a couple times, her mouth mumbled something incomprehensible.</p><p>“What is that?” Erin was the first one to open her mouth to say something coherent, feeling her classmate’s eyes on her observing her reaction. Michelle’s included who was looking at her with curiosity and then at the present.</p><p>“I think it’s a Valentine Day’s present” Clare reasoned, blinking several times walking to her own desk looking at it, her eyes unable to move anywhere else “But it can’t be, can it?” She turned to Erin, pleading as if she knew who the possible sender was.</p><p>“There is no way I got a present” Erin glanced at James, who seemed to be focused on Clare and her present. When her eyes were back on the messy wrapping, he looked at her.</p><p>“I am a lesbian Erin, what am I supposed to do when a boy gives me a present for Valentine’s day?” Her voice was filled with panic, her mind wondering on the possibility of returning the gift if possible, with a handmade card about how flattered she was, but how unfair it would be if she accepted the present.</p><p>“But your present is not from a boy” Jenny said, turning from her already arranged seat “I obviously can’t give away the anonymity of my costumer” She put one hand on her chest, smiling with false modesty “but I can say it was from a girl”</p><p>“You mean, there is another one in the school?” Michelle eyes shot open, scanning Jenny who rolled her eyes, by her side, Aisling’s cheeks were a faint shade of pink, her eyes looking at Clare just a few seconds before turning away.</p><p>“Both Erin and Clare got presents, isn’t that cracker Michelle?” Orla beamed with excitement hugging her friend and cousin. Michelle rolled her eyes, yet, smiled happy for her friends.</p><p>“Well, what are you waiting for you idiot, open it!” Michelle told Erin, who so far had only circled around the present.</p><p>“I don’t know if I should” Erin’s voice beamed with false modesty, smile clear on her face.</p><p>“Oh cry me a river. I know you are dying to open it, so drop the fake fucking modesty and open it”</p><p>“Okay” Erin said excited, ripping the paper apart, James sighed.</p><p>Opening, Erin couldn’t disguise her excitement when she saw a diary inside the box with a lock and the key on a necklace, and an old book with hard cover on the language of flowers.</p><p>“This is great!” She had a wide smile on her face, opening the diary’s lock and flipping the pages, white pages for her to fill with whatever she wanted.</p><p>“Does yours says from who it is?” Clare questioned leaning over Erin’s shoulder, taking a chocolate and putting it in her mouth offering some to the rest. Erin furrowed her eyebrows looking through the box, opening the flower’s book and trying to look for any note in it, even the bouquet had a significant lack of a card.</p><p>“No, it doesn’t” She mumbled, Michelle leaned over her shoulder, taking a closer look to the presents, eyebrows furrowed, turning to James afterwards who had already silently retreated to his seat, her mouth turned into a thin line.</p><p>“I wasn’t that the book you were looking for?” Michelle raised her voice so James could hear her, his eyes shot immediately in her direction wide open. There was a sudden silence in the classroom, all eyes turned to the group. Erin switched from the presents in her hand to James’ face.</p><p>“I wasn’t looking for any book” He tried, leaning against the back of the chair.</p><p>“Aye you were” Michelle nodded eyebrows furrowed “I remember”</p><p>“Piss Off Michelle” James face was bright red. Clare’s eyes shifted between the trio, silent, she returned to her seat. Erin sat, glancing back every few seconds to look at James who seemed to purposefully avoid her eyes, while Michelle insisted she had heard him ask in a library for that book in particular and not understanding why he was lying about it.</p><p>
  <strong>Fourth time: When James and Erin got together.</strong>
</p><p>“I can’t go, Michelle” Erin sighed, sitting in the diner with Michelle across her, Orla was looking at the menu while Clare sat in silence watching everything happen in front of her. James was sitting next to Clare, silent.</p><p>“Why the fuck not, Erin? I need you to come and if Mary gives you permission my ma will give me permission” Michelle had spent the entire Saturday trying to the best of her ability to convince Erin to hang out with her next Saturday and go to what she considered would be ‘The Party of the Year’. So far, Erin had refused to go or to even negotiate the possibility.</p><p>“I already have plans Michelle”</p><p>“I did it for you, I was going to you to David’s band thing for you” Michelle’s voice would have made anyone think Erin had just committed the biggest offence as she furiously pointed at the table with her index finger, eyes wide open, Erin sighed.</p><p>“We didn’t go to that” She said, rolling her eyes. “And I had to beg you to go”</p><p>“But we were going to” Michelle crossed her arms leaning against the rest if her chair, crossing her legs, her eyebrows furrowed.</p><p>“I’m sorry Michelle, but I already made plans” Erin tilted her head, shrugging, putting both hands over her legs.</p><p>“You just saying that because John-Paul is going to be there and you don’t want to see him” This time, James turned his eyes to Erin, then to Michelle who pointed an accusatory finger to Erin, Clare turned her attention to them while Erin’s eyes didn’t move from Michelle’s polished index finger.</p><p>“That’s not it” Erin sighed grabbing Michelle’s hand and putting it away from her face.</p><p>“Alright then, who are you hanging out with that it’s so important to ditch your friend” Michelle crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows.</p><p>“If you must now” Erin began, her cheeks coloring pink, avoiding Michelle’s eyes “Me and James are going out” James smiled softly at her, Michelle on the other hand, looked like if she had been insulted.</p><p>“You are ditching me, for fucking James of all people”</p><p>“I am not ditching you for James” Erin said, rolling her eyes “It’s just that me and James are now seeing each other, and we have been planning this for a while” She shrugged, simple, searching for their reactions. There was a beginning of a smile on Clare’s face while Orla and Michelle stared with confusion written all over their faces.</p><p>“Haven’t you two been able to see each other before? Were you two invisible?” Orla questioned, eyes wide open as if she had been open to a new world watching James and Erin attentive.</p><p>“She means they are dating” Clare clarified, beaming with a smile in her face, hugging James’ side “That’s great guys”</p><p>“Oh, that’s cracker, Erin” Orla smiled, focusing her attention to the menu.</p><p>The confused expression hadn’t vanished from Michelle’s face, who was looking around.</p><p>“What kind of twisted joke are you two playing?” Her eyebrows were furrowed and her nose scrunched as her eyes read the scene, moving to each of the people in the group.</p><p>“She is not joking” James intertwined, meddling for the first time in the conversation “Erin is my girlfriend Michelle”</p><p>It was strange to hear him say it out loud. It made her heart skip a beat, making it even more real, she couldn’t help the smile that went to her face. James smiled at her, a smile that reached his eyes.</p><p>“Really Erin, I know you are upset that John Paul ditched you, but there’s no need to pretend you are dating James so you two can skip the party. I didn’t care if James went or not anyways” Michelle said resigned, scoffing.</p><p>“How nice of you Michelle” James complained, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“I’m sorry, but we already had everything planned for a while”</p><p>“Fine! Don’t come to the party but you two don’t have to keep this joke up” Michelle crossed her arms over her chest, sighing, eyebrows furrowed. When the waitress arrived, the conversation quickly shifted to what they would eat.</p><p>
  <strong>Fifth time: When Mary and Joe understood.</strong>
</p><p>James stood outside the Quinn-McCool household, swallowing hard, feeling his cousin push past him so she could get inside as fast as possible. Ever since they had told Erin’s family that they were dating it was almost like if Joe had turned into an entirely different person. Going from the person who easily forgave him for sleeping on the same bedroom as the girls to someone who in the span of a few weeks had managed to rival Michelle on throwing as many insults at him as humanly possible.</p><p>Taking a deep breath he opened the door for Erin to walk through walking right behind her.</p><p>“What is he doing here?” Granted it wasn’t the warmest of welcomes or a welcome at all, but it was the first thing James heard as soon as he stepped into Erin’s house, the words coming out of Joe’s mouth whose eyes were glaring at the boy who swallowed hard, panic in his eyes that didn’t miss Gerry’s apologetic expression as he walked past him putting one sympathetic hand on the boy’s shoulder.</p><p>“It’s just James, granda” Erin shrugged walking past the living room to the kitchen, where Mary commanded her to do the dishes.</p><p>“I know, love. That’s exactly the issue” Joe smiled at the girls of the girls glaring at James who felt trapped in a corner.</p><p>“What’s the matter? Aren’t you going to move English prick?” James gave a quick nod, following Erin to the kitchen in case he could help, or hide on the best-case scenario while the girls made a place for themselves in the couch.</p><p>“He’s always coming to the house Da” Sarah commented, shuffling a deck of tarot cards.</p><p>“And you won’t say anything about it, idiot?” Joe directed his anger at Gerry who helplessly shifted his sight from the television to his father in law.</p><p>“Da, leave Gerry and the poor boy alone. He’s also their friend, remember?” Mary meddled, and James shot a thankful glance in her direction, still cleaning one of the plates Erin handed him.</p><p>“I don’t want him around the house”</p><p>“Dad” One stern look from Mary was enough for Joe to reduce his anger to simple muffled complaints out of which ‘Simpleton, idiots, and prick’ could easily be understood by the girls in the couch.</p><p>When they were done with the dishes Erin grabs James’ arm and he looks at her desolate, putting the last dry plate on its place.</p><p>“We’re gonna study upstairs for the test, mom” As soon as the words left her mouth, Orla, Michelle and Clare propped themselves up from the couch, ready to follow Erin. Mary was quick in her step, stopping the girls before they could go another stair higher.</p><p>“You two know what I’m going to say” She put both hands on her waist, raising at single eyebrow, her eyes focused on Erin and James holding hands, which they dropped immediately, James hiding them in his denim jacket and Erin behind herself.</p><p>“Not now ma, please” She pleaded, looking everywhere but her mom.</p><p>“I mean it Erin,” She glared, wooden spoon in her hand “No funny business, understand? or so help me I won’t stop my your granda from tearing James apart limb by limb” both teenagers nodded, eyes wide open looking like a pair of deer. Clare smiled amused at the scene and Michelle rolled her eyes.</p><p>“I don’t need to tear him apart, Jim’s got a new hunting gun. He says it works wonders” Joe commented</p><p>“There will be no funny business Mrs. Quinn, I assure you” James promised, holding both hands up in the air, eyes blinking nervous.</p><p>“Good. You can go now” Mary swayed her wooden spoon, and it was enough signal for the teens to head upstairs.</p><p>“I can’t believe you managed to convince your mom and Joe to play into the fact you are trying to convince everyone you two are dating” Michelle’s voice was heard on the distance, the adults downstairs shared a confused look that Sarah shrugged off.</p><p>
  <strong>+ The one time she did believe, they were on the run.</strong>
</p><p>Some Take That song was blasting through the house, but instead of dancing, or chatting with her boyfriend, Erin found herself trapped between a kitchen counter and a boy with black hair whose name she had already forgotten, but he seemed eager to talk to her.</p><p>“So who do you know at this party?” It wasn’t his first attempt at a conversation with her, he had tried talking about his school, his hobbies, anything to spark any enthusiasm out of her, and while Erin could admit he was quite handsome she had no interest in him.</p><p>“Just my friends” Erin said, looking at her red cup, moving it slightly watching the liquid in it.</p><p>“And where are they?”</p><p>“Probably got lost somewhere, or they are looking for me. I should probably get going” She looked up, giving the guy a polite and clearly forced smile, trying to move past him. Instead, he got in the way stopping her from giving another step forward. She looked at him in the eyes, moving back as much as she could to put some distance between him and her.</p><p>“Maybe instead you could stay with me talking a little more, or we could go somewhere more private” He leaned forward, his voice barely audible because of the music, Erin tried to look everywhere but him.</p><p>“That’s… flattering I suppose, but I have a boyfriend and I should go find him, we arrived together” Erin tried to move, managing to slip past him and moving to his right, with him turning his entire body to face her.</p><p>“I don’t mind that you have a boyfriend”</p><p>“I…”</p><p>His eyes were fixed on Erin’s, for each step Erin gave back, he gave one forward, trying to close the distance between them. She felt her heart beat faster. Her mind frozen unable to think of an escape route or come out with an excuse plausible enough so the fella would leave her alone</p><p>“There you are Erin, I’ve been looking everywhere for you” James gives Erin a peck in the cheek passing one hand over her shoulder. James’ English accent felt like music to her ears. Upon his arrival, the guy finally gave a step back, Erin was able to let a breath of relief out while James glared at the fella.</p><p>“This is your boyfriend?” The guy smiled, eyebrows lifted looking at James up and down.</p><p>“Yes, he is” Erin leaned closer to him. The fella’s smile turned into a mocking one, his eyes now focusing entirely on James.</p><p>“You are dating an English? I think you can do better than that, sweetheart, I mean look at him, he looks like a dick” He laughed</p><p>This time, it was Erin the one who glared at him. James loosened the grip on her shoulder, taking a step closer to the other guy.</p><p>“I beg your pardon?” He questioned, tense, eyebrows furrowed.</p><p>“Excuse me?” Erin puts a hand on James’ chest, pushing him a few steps apart from the other guy. He moved a she indicated, allowing her to step in front of him, the way her eyes seemed to throw daggers was a little familiar and it sent a chill down James’ spine, she put one hand in her waist and the other an accusatory finger “I don’t know what’s gotten into you but I’m not about to let you talk to my boyfriend like that. Only his cousin can talk to him like that, just who do you think you are?” Erin began pressing the finger against the guy’s chest.</p><p>“Erin…” James tried, she shot a glance in his direction, his only response was to throw his hands up taking a step back.</p><p>“No, James, let me” She said without a second’s hesitance “You think you are a big fucking deal, but you aren’t, you aren’t even a fraction, a hundredth of what James is”</p><p>“You are deranged” the guy said after looking at her up and down, his nose scrunched, turning on his heel and leaving the couple by themselves.</p><p>“Fuck off” James said, mouth twisted “You have no bloody clue what you’re on about.”</p><p>The second the guy turned his back to them, Erin turned to James, cheeks flushed, suddenly embarrassed about the outburst she had with the other guy. James, smiled softly at her before pressing a kiss on her forehead. She sunk her head on the inside of his jacket.</p><p>“If I didn’t love you already, I would have fallen in love with you just about now”. He leaned, until his face was at the same height as hers “You are amazing, have I ever told you that?”</p><p>“No” Erin was playing with one of the buttons of his jacket, her lips curving into a slight smile, eyes avoiding his, embarrassed “But maybe you could say it again”</p><p>“You are amazing” He cupped her face with both his hands.</p><p>“Say it again”</p><p>“You are amazing Erin Quinn”</p><p>He was leaning down almost at the same height as her, she took it to her advantage leaning forward until her lips pressed against his on a simple, soft and quick kiss. After she let go, he was the one to lean forward, kissing her this time with more passion, his hands moving to her waist and hers to the back of his neck.</p><p>Once they broke apart, they remained in silence, soft goofy smiles on their faces.</p><p>“Where are the girls?” Erin asked after a few seconds.</p><p>“I saw Michelle with some fella” James began “and Orla is trying to figure out who the girl who sent flowers to Clare on valentine’s day”</p><p>Erin could recall hearing Orla talk about it, about how cool it would be to find out who it was despite Clare’s attempts to dismiss her and tell her there was no need to uncover the truth.</p><p>“Have they figured it out?” Erin returned to playing with the buttons of his jacket as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.</p><p>James stayed in silence for a few seconds, trying to remember what was the last thing he had heard of the girls.</p><p>“So far Orla’s plan is to ask girl by girl who was the one to send flowers to Clare” He said with an amused smile on his face. Erin couldn’t help but smile as well, thinking about Orla asking every single girl if they had given Clare a present while the poor girl was three steps away from her begging her to stop bothering the other girls.</p><p>“Despite everything, I think something good came out of that bloke’s mouth?” Erin mumbled, noticing how James furrowed his eyebrows.</p><p>“Oh?” He tilted his head.</p><p>“<em>We</em> <em>could </em>go somewhere more private, I heard someone say this house is even bigger than Jenny’s”</p><p>“<em>Oh.</em>” His eyebrows shot up, his face now colored pink, as he stared at Erin, a half smile on his face. Her face grew bright red, as she sank her head in his jacket</p><p>“We don’t have to if you don’t want to” The words came out too fast and mumbled, and yet, he smiled, taking one of her hands with his own.</p><p>“I never said I didn’t want to.” He smiled, she looked up.</p><p>He took her hand, pulling her as they made their way across the rest of the teenagers, smiling to each other for just a brief second, only to after avoiding each other’s eyes in pure nervousness.</p><p>As soon as they reached the top of the staircase, before they could find any room to lock themselves in. They were stopped by Michelle who stood in front of them hands on her waist, Clare and Orla were behind her, a panicked expression all over Clare’s face.</p><p>“Where the fuck were you two?” Michelle questioned, wasting no time in taking Erin by the arm and rushing downstairs, James following them as close as he could.</p><p>“We were…”</p><p>“Doesn’t matter, we need to leave, now” Michelle interrupted Erin wasting no time in taking Erin by the arm and rushing downstairs, James following them as close as he could trailing behind Clare.</p><p>“What, why?” Erin is the first one to question as soon as Michelle lets go of her arm.</p><p>“Michelle kissed a fella with a girlfriend and now she and her friends want to beat her up” Clare quickly explained, both Erin and James’ eyes shot on Michelle’s direction. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes focused ahead, to get out of the house as soon as possible. Someone in the background yelled that they should be stopped, which was enough for the friends to run as fast as their feet allowed them to. James grabbed Erin’s hand and they ran out of the house, unable to stop laughing.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to” Michelle explained while they were on the run “I didn’t know he had a girlfriend. He told me he was alone”</p><p>“Orla was asking the girl if she was the one who sent me the present” Clare say between ragged breaths looking back every so often to make sure no one was following them “And when the girl was pointing at her boyfriend Michelle was with him”</p><p>“What an arsehole” James was the only to say something.</p><p>They stopped at a park to gain their air, Orla laying on the grass.</p><p>“It’s not your fault Michelle. James is right, I’m sure the girl will understand, when she calms down” Erin tried, leaning forward to regain her energy.</p><p>James hugged Erin and giving her a kiss in the forehead. The action didn’t go unnoticed by Michelle who rolled her eyes before stretching.</p><p>“If you keep that shit up you’re gonna make me boke” Michelle said, making fake gagging noises  “You look like if you were dating and that’s disgusting”</p><p>“We are dating Michelle” Says James, his eyes still staring at Erin. Up to that point, they had lost count of the amount of times someone had to say it to Michelle and without a fault, she had always refused it.</p><p>“Shut up, no you aren’t. You wish you were dating Erin, you prick” Michelle crossed her arms over her chest, a mocking smile on her face, turning to Erin as if she was expecting her to agree with her.</p><p>“We are dating Michelle” Erin assured.</p><p>Michelle’s scoffed at first, then her expression softened and her eyes shot wide open moving between James and Erin, blinking a couple times.</p><p>“No…Seriously?” She tilted her head, Erin laughed as she nodded at the same time that James did, Michelle was looking around the park before her eyes landed again on her friends “You two have got to be kidding me, and you haven’t told me?”</p><p>“We just told you” James said</p><p>“No, you didn’t. I would remember, seriously, you two dating, not gonna lie, I still want to boke, but I can tolerate it, just don’t kiss in front of me and we’ll be good” Michelle said lifting an index finger, avoiding to look at the couple.</p><p>“What do you mean not kissing?” Erin questioned amused.</p><p>“You mean none of…?” James teased, turning so he was in front of Erin, leaning as if he was about to kiss her in the lips, the amused smile never faltering from their faces.</p><p>“I’m seriously gonna boke”</p><p>“It’s not a big deal Michelle. They have been dating for three months” Orla spoke up, still laying on the grass, looking at the night sky.</p><p>“Even Orla knew” Michelle said exasperated.</p><p>“They are quite cracker together” Clare smiled.</p><p> “And you knew? I can’t believe this. This is insulting, I bet it was you who wanted to keep it a secret wasn’t it, English prick” Michelle pushed an accusatory finger against her cousin, pressing it against his shoulder, her nose scrunched and eyebrows furrowed</p><p>“It wasn’t a secret” James shrugged.</p><p>“Just you wait until mum, Mary and Joe find out. You are gonna get your ass handed to yourself like you should” Michelle said crossing her arms. James scoffed and Erin shook her head, smile on her face.</p>
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